US Drought Monitor and Summary for Jan. 4, 2018

Despite recent rain, the recent trend toward drought intensification and expansion resumed. In particular, additional assessments from local experts as well as updated data and indices indicated drought conditions were slow to relinquish their grip across the central and northern Delta. During the 7-day period ending on Tuesday morning, bitterly cold, mostly dry weather prevailed across the nation. However, light to moderate showers were observed along the central Gulf Coast. The overall trend toward drought intensification persisted from the Four Corners to the southern Plains and south-central U.S.
Looking Ahead: A rapidly-intensifying storm system near the Atlantic Seaboard will produce wind-driven snow from parts of the Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast. Substantial snow- and wind-related impacts are expected in New England, as well as coastal cities such as Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. In the storm’s wake, late-week temperatures will again plunge across the Midwest and Northwest. However, temperatures will rebound to above-normal levels by Sunday in all areas west of the Mississippi River. In the middle and lower Mississippi Valley and environs, some rain or freezing rain could precede the warmer weather. Elsewhere, periods of rain and snow will affect northern California and the Northwest, while dry weather prevails across the central and southern Plains.
The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for Jan. 9 – 13 calls for above-normal precipitation across much of the nation, with drier-than-normal weather confined to the nation’s southern tier save for the Southwest. Colder-than-conditions will linger in the upper Midwest, while near- to-above-normal temperatures prevail elsewhere, with the greatest likelihood of abnormal warmth from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast.
Read more at droughtmonitor.unl.edu.